Mechatronics Fundamentals and Locomotion Analysis of Hybrid Mobile Robot: Rocker-Bogie Wheeled System and SCARA Manipulator

Abstract

Plastic on beaches and seas is a problem that affects the entire planet; more than 300 million metric tons of plastic are produced per year, in contrast to the 1.5 million metric tons recorded in 1950. In a world where the annual production of plastic is measured in hundreds of millions of tons, it is essential to critically address the collateral effects of this material on our environment, intending to propose innovative and sustainable solutions to mitigate its negative consequences. This study aims to solve the health problem caused by plastic bottles on beaches. The proposed collector robot aims to be a solution dedicated to cleaning stone beaches by having the capacity to collect plastic bottles from 0.5 to 2 liters. The collector robot comprises a ROVER-type mobile robot, and a SCARA-type manipulator robot with 3 degrees of freedom. The movement analysis of the ROVER mobile robot and the SCARA manipulator robot was carried out, generating rectangular and circular trajectories using Matlab's Simulink. A virtual environment was recreated, using CoppeliaSim software to guarantee correct operation through mobility and operation tests, achieving optimal results.